Calabria has one DOCG, Cirò Classico, and ten DOC denominations. Among them are Bivongi, Cirò, Greco di Bianco, Lamezia, Melissa, Savuto, Scavigna and Terre di Cosenza. Cirò, Melissa and Scavigna can each appear as white, red or rosé wines.
Greco di Bianco offers a different style: a sweet passito made from dried grapes. The wine is amber in colour, with a delicate orange-blossom aroma and a soft, velvety palate. A regional legend links the vine to Greek landings at Zefirio in the seventh century BC, though the grape is not part of the Greco family. Greco di Bianco gained DOC recognition in 1980.
Savuto is a Gaglioppo-based red, with Greco Nero, Nerello Cappuccio, Magliocco and Sangiovese among the other permitted grapes. Its vines stand on narrow stone-walled terraces, which make harvest difficult. Terre di Cosenza, established in 2011, includes seven named subzones, among them Donnici, Pollino and Verbicaro.
Inside the region
4 named areas
Each guide keeps its place within Calabria clear, with a direct route back to the map.
- 01Catanzaro & Tyrrhenian CoastNo producers listed yetLamezia and Scavigna are listed here. Scavigna can be made as white, red or rosé.
- 02Cosenza & Northern CalabriaNo producers listed yetTerre di Cosenza and Savuto are the appellations listed in this part of Calabria. Terre di Cosenza is divided into seven named subzones.
- 03Crotone & Ionian CoastNo producers listed yetCirò, Melissa and S. Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto are listed in this part of Calabria. Cirò and Melissa both make white, red and rosé wines.
- 04Reggio Calabria & the ToeNo producers listed yetBivongi and Greco di Bianco are listed here. Greco di Bianco is a sweet dried-grape passito, amber in colour with a delicate orange-blossom aroma.